[2] He did not enjoy his time with the Carl Rosa Opera Company and left them to pursue a career singing traditional Scottish songs and other works.
From 1959 to 1977 he frequently toured the United States and Canada with other Scottish entertainers such as Helen McArthur, often appearing in small local venues.
In 1958–59 he played Jacob Bray in a successful revival of 'Old Chelsea' by Richard Tauber, along with Vanessa Lee and Peter Graves, which opened in Glasgow and then toured.
According to the author and historian John Kennedy O'Connor's The Eurovision Song Contest – The Official History, the Scottish tenor – who had changed into a kilt at the last moment – drew gasps from the audience when he appeared on stage.
Outside music, McKellar wrote a sketch, involving a blindfolded man trying to identify the name of the celebrity beating him up,[7] which was performed by the Monty Python team at The Secret Policeman's Ball.
[2] He also recorded several classical works, including Handel's Messiah alongside Joan Sutherland in a performance conducted by Sir Adrian Boult.
[9] McKellar died of pancreatic cancer, at the age of 82, at his daughter's home in South Lake Tahoe in the United States, on 9 April 2010.